EU online music deal

Restrictions on licensing music to online users will be scrapped in the Netherlands in a move that should see download sales get a boost. A European Union-wide online music rights clearing system could be on the way thanks to the two nationís accepting proposals on this. Currently, anyone interested in offering paid-for downloads currently has to deal with 16 different licensing bodies in the EU.

"The absence of pan-European copyright licences makes it difficult for new European-based online services to take off," said Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy when the EU launched its initiative last month.
"This is why we are proposing the creation of Europe-wide copyrights clearance."